Know the franchise
before you buy in.

A franchise agreement sets the rules for the whole life of your business. We review the agreement and disclosure document so you know what you are committing to before you sign.

Client reviews

Commercial law clients,
in their own words.

Is this you?

When people come to us about franchising.

Each of these is a good reason to call, and none of them is too early.

  • You are buying a new franchise and have received a disclosure document.
  • You are buying an existing franchised business from the current owner.
  • The franchisor wants you to sign a renewal on new terms.
  • You are in a dispute with your franchisor.

How we help

The disclosure is there to be read. We read it with you.

The Franchising Code requires a franchisor to give you a disclosure document and time to consider it before you sign. The agreement usually controls fees, territory, marketing contributions, fit-out, renewal and what happens when you leave.

We review the agreement, the disclosure document and the lease together, explain the terms that matter, and look after the transfer when you buy or sell a franchised business.

What we do

  • Franchise agreement and disclosure document reviews
  • Franchise leases and occupancy arrangements
  • Transfers on the sale of a franchised business
  • Renewals and new terms
  • Advice on the Franchising Code
  • Franchise disputes and mediation

What happens first

Your first week with us.

A matter should feel different from the first call. This is what you can expect before anything is signed or sent.

What it costs
  1. The first call: what the real question is

    Most commercial matters turn on one or two points. We find them first, so the work goes where it counts.

  2. Within the week: a strategy and a written estimate

    What a good outcome looks like, how we propose to reach it, and what it will cost, before any letter is sent.

  3. Document work: delivered on a date, not a promise

    Most leases and agreements are delivered within five business days of instructions. Debt recovery steps are quoted as fixed fees.

  4. From then on: one senior lawyer, with your accountant

    Structure, tax and succession decisions are made together, not in sequence, and you deal with the same lawyer throughout.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

If your question is not here, it is a good reason for the free call.

  • When should I get the franchise agreement reviewed?

    Before you sign anything or pay a deposit. The Code gives you time to consider the documents, and that time is well spent with advice.

  • Can you act on the business purchase as well?

    Yes. We look after the franchise review, the lease and the purchase together, so the dates line up.

  • What does it cost?

    Most document work (leases, agreements, structures) is quoted as a fixed fee from the outset. Debt recovery is staged: a fixed fee for the letter of demand and for a statutory demand, then a written estimate for any court step. Larger matters such as a business sale or a contested proceeding are scoped and estimated in writing before we start, and you are told early if anything changes.

Tell us what is going on. We will tell you where you stand.

A free 15-minute call. If it is a matter for us, you are booked in with the right solicitor before the call ends. If it is not, we will say so.